Bridging the ages: EHS alumni game a winner

EXETER — Joe Pearce graduated from the Exeter High School boys soccer program in the spring of 1977. He guessed he has returned for the team's annual alumni game more than 30 times.

RYAN O'LEARY

EXETER — Joe Pearce graduated from the Exeter High School boys soccer program in the spring of 1977. He guessed he has returned for the team's annual alumni game more than 30 times.

And why not? The Exeter resident who runs his own chiropractic practice downtown remains an avid soccer player. He plays at Seacoast United and in an over-50 men's league down in Windham, Mass.; he said Friday night's game was his sixth this week.

Yet this one's always special. He can't help but marvel at how far his alma mater has come, from the facilities to the talent good friend and coach Jim Tufts puts on the field.

"It's so different," Pearce said. "These kids have so much better skill at this age. I didn't develop some of this skill until I was probably in my 30s."

The old guys still have it, though. The Exeter alums beat the current Blue Hawks, 2-1, in Friday night's organized scrimmage on the turf at Eustis Field. Per usual, Tufts officiated the game while using it as a tool to instruct his players.

These games always produce some serious, teachable moments.

Then there's the moments that make you throw your head back, laughing.

"It's just great to see everybody," Tufts said. "I love it when those guys show up. It's great."

There were three separate members of the Tufts family playing for the alums. One of them, Cameron, scored the game's first goal on a header, finishing a pretty cross from Liam Connolly that beat Exeter starting goalie Henrik Barbin to the far corner.

The Blue Hawks have been working new faces into new positions during their first week of organized training sessions. They're working to replace some program mainstays like Austin Kimball, their top scorer and team leader in recent seasons; the Hawks have reached the Division I quarterfinals in three straight seasons but are still searching for their first final-four appearance since 2010.

This fall, guys like senior captain Sam Colvin and senior striker Ben Curcio are stepping up to lead that charge.

Exeter opens its season on Friday at Spaulding. The team finished 11-5-2 last season.

"We're a really young crew," Colvin said. "(The newcomers) are really picking up a lot of what we've already learned from Coach Tufts and a lot of other players. It seems like they're quick learners: mess up once, that's fine, get some instruction and then they get it right the next time."

"We're making progress," Jim Tufts said. "So it's lots of steps forward and we'll figure it out and get better. We'll be alright. We'll field a team."

Curcio returns with the challenge of shouldering some of the scoring burden. He's expecting to lead a young crop of athletes up front, at least in terms of varsity playing experience.

"If Hunter (Smith) moves back to midfield, it looks like I'll be the only senior playing striker," Curcio said. "But it's definitely good. We have a few different kids, a lot of them young talent. There's a freshman who's got really good skill."

The strength of this team, which has been defense in the past, figures to be found in the midfield, where Colvin joins fellow varsity returners like Smith, Hayden Casassa and Dan Weinhold.

"No matter who's in that position, it's going to be a strong squad," Colvin said. "That's going to be one of our core strengths and, hopefully, where we get a lot of attack and our first line of defense."

Friday's alumni game was played for a shade over 90 minutes. The alums drew players from as far back as Pearce and as recent as 2013 grads Ryan Foley and Alex Hughes; the Blue Hawks graduated 12 seniors from last year's roster.

The game ended on a buzzer-beater, so to speak, when the alumni snapped a 1-1 tie as daylight was beginning to fade after 7 p.m. Tufts blew the game dead as the ball hit the twine.

"I liked how there was that sense of fun and just a little bit of relaxed play," Curcio saide. "But it was also competitive. Everybody's trying hard. Everybody's doing their best. But at the same time, no one wants to kill each other. We're not playing for a state title right now."

Not yet. Exeter's last trip to the final came in 2009, a 1-0 loss to Manchester Central. It's last title came in Class L in 2006, a 1-0 win over Pinkerton and the program's fourth title over a six-year span.

From here, the alumni will be pulling from afar.

"They look good — very good," Pearce said. "They're really fast. They always get better as the season goes along, too."

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